Apple Watch 5 vs 6: Buy the older version or wait for new one?

Apple Watch 5 is a terrific health tracker featuring optical and electric heart rate sensors but within just a month or two, the model is expected to get a price cut and would be replaced by an upgraded version at a similar price point.

When one is in the market to buy a new smartwatch, Apple Watch is often the first option that comes to the mind of iOS users. Carrying the tag of most sold smartwatch, Apple Watch certainly is a great choice but just like iPhones, its the time of the year where you should think twice whether to buy the older model or wait for the new launch.

The current latest version of the series in Apple Watch 5 which was launched in September 2019. It is an excellent device with an always-on display, fall detection, and a built-in compass, while the Apple Watch 6 is coming soon but hasn’t been officially announced yet.

Apple Watch 5 is a terrific health tracker featuring optical and electric heart rate sensors (the former to log your heart rate and the latter for ECGs). It also features speakers on the left side and with 32 GB of space, it's strong on music and podcast playback although getting content onto the Watch can still be a struggle.

Battery life is the biggest issue encountered by users on the Apple Watch 5, with the headline feature always-on display pulling more life out of the smartwatch. The GPS only version is almost always priced north of Rs 40,000 but it can go slightly lower as part of sales or offers. In the US market, it can be bought for $399.

The Apple Watch 6, on the other hand, is expected to be launched in early September along with a few other products including a cheaper 'Apple Watch SE', as it is being called.

The Apple Watch 6 could see the return of the ridiculously expensive gold Edition model which could be priced north of $10,000, according to a suite of leaked images that show off the watch and a plush charging case. Apple is also expected to upgrade the wireless networking system in the next generation watch. In a patent spotted by AppleInsider, Apple pitches a wireless connection antenna built into the Apple Watch's display.

The appearance of Apple Watch lineup hasn't changed much since the Series 1 debut 5 years ago and the same is likely to be true for the newer version although some minor tweaks can be expected.

It's still unclear what will Apple do to the earlier models namely Apple Watch 5 and Apple Watch 3. If rumors about a cheaper version of the watch are to be believed, the 3rd generation of this lineup is most likely to be discontinued and the 5th generation would get a price cut that keeps it somewhere between the Apple Watch SE and the latest 6th generation.

Coming to the decision to buy a smartwatch, Apple Watch 5 still provides great value for money and would receive OS updates for at least a couple more years, and therefore it makes a good choice if you urgently need a smartwatch. However, within just a month or two, the model is expected to get a price cut and would be replaced by an upgraded version particularly in terms of battery life at a similar price point. So it is still recommended to wait if you can.